(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pressure sensitive labels and, more particularly, to a system for providing product reordering information.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Inventory control is becoming more important because of the cost of maintaining excess inventory verses the danger of running out of a critical component. As a result, almost all manufacturing plants have some type of inventory control system. However, some items are so small or so numerous and used in such quantities that they have been impractical to use as part of an inventory control system. Examples of such items include screws, dowels, pins, latches and brackets used in the furniture manufacturing industry. Even in these days of modern factories, it is not unusual to see such items in cigar boxes, baby jars, miscellaneous cans and unlabeled containers. In addition, there was no way of providing a convenient means for reordering when a particular item ran low.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,601,018, issued to Haynes, discloses a calendar equipped with a series of detachable tabs or tags which may constitute order blanks. In the preferred embodiment, the invention was adapted for use as a calendar advertising milk and other dairy products and providing order forms for the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 4 549 750 issued to Stone et al., discloses a two-piece label having one section which is marked by a supplier with general product information and a separable section on the same label which is marked with certain pricing information for the consumer. The label is then attached to the product shipping container in a fashion such that the general product information remains permanently attached to the container and the consumer pricing information section can be removed and placed on a store shelf at the same time the product is removed from the container and placed on the shelf.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for organization and inventory control of hardware items or the like while, at the same time, providing a convenient means for reordering when a particular item runs low.